Pipe-conveying mechanism



May 4 1926.

A. E. PAIGE PIPE CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 17, 1925 Qmmg awn/rm.-

Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. PAIGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYIIVANLA.

PIPE-CONVEYING MECHANISM.

Application and November 17, 1925. Serial No. 69,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. PAIGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inPipe-Conveying Mechanism, whereof the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

.My invention may be employed with particular advantage in themanufacture of iron pipe in arotary mold which is relatively axiallymovable with respect to a trough, through which the molten metal ispoured: for instance centrifugal casting mechanism of the generic ty )0described in my copending application aerial No. 62,947 filed October17, 1925, for Letters Patent of the United States, wherein the mold ismounted to 1'0- tate upon a truck which is arranged to re ciprocate upona track. The purpose and effect of the present invention is to withdraweach, cast pipe from such a. mold and discharge it upon tracks leading,transversely to said mold tracks, to an annealing furnace or otherreceiving means. However, the casting ejecting device herein disclosedis the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 82,674filed January 21, 1926, for Letters Patent of the United States; theclaims in this case being directed to the conveying mechanism whichcooperates with said ejecting device to discharge the pipes laterallywith respect to the axis of the mold.'

The form of my invention hereinafter described is particularly adaptedfor use in cooperative relation with a mold adapted to cast pipes whichhave a bell at one end larger than the diameter of the pipe throughoutthe remainder of its length and includes supports which arecounterpoised to gravitate to position to support the castpipe butrespectively pivoted, so that they may be temporarily tilted out of thepath of the bell end of the pipe during the traverse of the mold to itsposition in which the pipe casting operation is completed; such tiltingmovement being conveniently effected by a roller carried by the moldtruck and arranged to successively encounter and tilt said supports, outof the way of the mold and its truck.

As hereinafter described the axially movable mold carries the cast pipe,bell end forward, into engagement with a device, which, at theconclusion of the casting operation,

features of construction and arrangement.

hereinafter more definitely specified.

Fig. I is a fragmentary side view of a convenient form of apparatusembodying my invention, wherein the discharge tracks are sectioned onthe line I, I in Fig. II.

Fig. II is a fragmentary transverse sec-v tional view of said apparatustaken on the line II, II in Fig. I. 4

In said figures; 9. track 1 is formed of a pair of parallel'rails,preferably inclined,

and at. an angle of'four degrees-to a horizontal plane. The truck frame3 is provided with four supporting wheels tarranged to traverse s'aidtrack. Said truck frame is conveniently formed of wrought steelincluding two opposite longitudinally extending channels 7 connected bycross channels 9 respectively at the front and rear ends thereof. Saidcross channels 9 each support two roller bearing brackets 12, which areall alike. 15 which are conveniently held stationary on said truck frameand support four mold bearing rollers 16 which are all alike. Said frame3 and rollers 16 support the rotary mold 18 which has annular flanges T9at its opposite ends engaging said rollers 16.

Said mold 18 is so constructed and arranged that the bell endpipe 26 maybe rotarily cast therein and includes the tubular core 27 at the bellend of the mold, conveniently formed of a cementitious material carriedb the circular plate 28 which is removably tted in the end of the moldin which it is detachably secured by a pair of diametrically oppositetapered pins 30, which are removed at the end of each castingoperation.-

In order to prevent distortion of said mold 18; I provide means tosubject it to the action, of a refrigerant, preferably Said brackets 12support two shafts water, and conveniently by surrounding said mold withthe tank 32 which is held stationary on said truck frame 3 in coaxialrelation with said mold, by two frame brackets 33 each provided with astrap bolt 35 with nuts 36. Said tank 32 has the cold water inlet 37 atthe bottom thereof and the hot water outlet 38 at the top thereof,respectively connected with a cold water supply under pressure, and witha drain. In order to permit rotation of said mold in said tank withoutleakage of the water; I provide each end thereof with rings of packingin a stuffing box 40. a v

The circulation of refrigerant through said tank 32 may be controlled bycontrolling the passage of water through either said inlet 37 or outlet38; so that the mold is continuously maintained at the properpredetermined temperature duringthe casting operation.

Said mold 18 is continuously rotated during the casting operation,conveniently by means including an electric motor, driving the shaft 42carrying the gear 43 engaging the gear 44, at the remote end of the moldas seen in Fig. II.

The molten metal. is directed into said mold by the pouring trough 47which is maintained relatively stationary, while said mold 18is rotatedand reciprocated with respect thereto. The movement of reciprocation ofsaid mold may be convenientl effected by a screw thread on said sha t 42engaging a nut 48 held stationary on said truck frame 3, as described atlength in my copending application aforesaid. However, it is to beunderstood that said mold may be axially reciprocated upon said tracks 1by any convenient means applied to said truck 3; the latter beinggradually shifted to the right in Fig. I during each casting opera tion,and being returned to the position in which it is shown, at the left ofFig. I, before the initiation of the next succeeding casting operation.

A suitable pipe grappling device, for instance including the rotatableaxial support 152 carrying the levers 153 and 154, connected by thelinks 155, is detachably supported in the standard bearing 156 (which isin rigid relation with said tracks 1 at the right hand end thereof) andis initially in inoperative position, with the lever 154 inclined.However, movement of said truck 3 with the mold 18 and east pipe 26 tothe right in Fig. I brings theright hand end of the mold against saidlever 154, erecting it and thus spreading said links into engagementwith the core 27; While said support 152 is journaled in said bearing156 between its collars 158 and 159, to temporarily hold said pipe 26while the mold is being witlr drawn. therefrom, toward .the left in Fig.I, for instance, by reversal of rotation of said shaft 42 thus leavingthe'cast pi 26' in engagement with said grappling (Ki rice as shown inFig. I.

However, it is obvious that said pipe would fall of itsown weight whenreleased from the mold, as it passes to the position a .162 which areadapted to be successively tilted to the rightin Fig. I, out of the wayof the truck 3 and the apparatus carried by the latter, by means of theroller 163 which is mounted upon the right hand end of said truck. Saidstruts are respectively pivoted upon trunnions 164 which are journaledin bearing brackets 165 which are conveniently rigidly connected withthe respective rails of the track 1; the latter being held in properspaced relation by bolts 167 provided wi h nuts 168 upon opposite sidesof the vertical webs of said rails, as best shown in Fig. II. Saidstruts 161 and 162 have respective counterweights 169 by which they arenormally upturned to the position shown in Fig. I, whenever they aresuccessively released, from their down tilted position, by the passageof said truck 3 toward the left in Fig. I. In such upturned position,said struts rest against the respective bo'lts 167. In order to insurethat the weight of said pipe 26 shall cause said. struts 161 and 162 toremain upright. in contact with said bolts 167, during the dischargingoperation, instead of tilting to the right in Fig. I, away from saidbolts 167, I incline the upper edges of said struts 161 and 162 to theleft in Fig. I; in which position the center of gravity of each of saidstruts is upon the left hand side of its axis and said struts a incooperative relation with the discharging track formed of two parallelrails 170 which are rigidly supported in any convenient manner. and arepreferably downwardly inclined away from said. struts and toward anannealing furnace 171 or other means for receiving said pipes 26. Eachpipe'26 is normally detained in coaxial relation with said mold 18 indepressions 173 in the tops of said struts from which each pipe mayrolled aside by manipulation of said lever 154. Said grappling support152 being then released from the bearing 156 may be released from saidpipe 26 by returning said lever 154 to its initial position inthe'suoport 156, and the core plate 28 and core 27 knocked loose fromthe pipe. the operation may be repeated as. above described.

Although I have illustrated my invention with reference to centrifugalcasting mechanism of a specific form adapted for casting Thereupon,

, bell end pipe; it is to beunde'rstood that I do not desire to limitmyself thereto; as

- other forms of molds may be employed in conjunction with thedischarging apparatus above described; which is adapted to receive pipesfrom any suitable carrier.

Therefore, I do not desire to to the precise details of construction,arrangement and procedure herein set forth, In as it is obvious thatvarious gmodifications may be made therein without departing from theessential features of'myinvention as described in theappendedclaims.

I claim: I

1'. The combination with means arranged to shift a bell end pipeaxially; of pipe con-' veying mechanism, including a plurality of strutsextending transversely to the axis of said 'pipe and independentlypivoted upon axes transverse -to the pipe axis and respectively providedwith counterbalance weights; whereby said struts are arranged to.

gravitate to upright position to support the pipe, but may betemporarily tilted out of the path of the pipe during its traverse tothe axial position in which it is to be received upon said-struts; eachof. said struts having a shallow depression adapted to re-- ceiveandprevent accidental displacement 3 of the pipe; and stop meanslimiting the tilting movement of said struts to upright position; theupper ends of said struts be mg respectively extended beyond verticalplanes intersecting their centers of gravity and toward said stop meanswhereby the weight of said pipe holds said struts against.

' said stop means. 2. The combination with means arranged to shift apipe-axially; ofpipe conveying 40 mechanism, including a plurality ofcounterbalanced struts extending transversely to the axis of said pipeand independently plvoted upon 7 axes transverse to the pipe axis;whereby-said struts are arranged to gravitate t'o upright position tosupport the lpe, but may be temporarily tilted out o the path of thepipe during its traverse to the axial position in which it is to bereceived upon said struts; each of said struts having means adapted toreceive and prevent accidental displacement of the pipe; and stopmeans'limlting the tilting movement of said struts to upright position;the upperends of said struts being respectively extended beyond verticalplanes intersecting their centers of gravity and toward said stop means;whereby the weight of said pipe holds said struts against said stopmeans.

3. The combination with means arranged to shift a pipe axially; of pipeconveying mechanism, including a plurality of counterbalanced strutsextending tr? nsversely to the axis of said pipe and independentlypivoted upon axes transverse to the pipe axis;'.

limit myself whereby said struts arejarranged gravitate to uprightposition to support the nt but may be temporarily tilted out of the pathof the pipe during its traverse to the axial position 1n which it is tobe received upon said struts; each ofsaid struts having means adapted toreceive and prevent. accidental displacement of the pipe; and stop'means limiting the tilting movement of said struts to upright position.i '4. The combination with means arranged to shiftna -pipe, axially; of.pipe conveying mechanism,including a pivoted and counter abalanced strutextending transversely to the axis of said pipe; whereby said strut isarranged to gravitate to upright position to;

support the pipe, butmay be temporarily tilted out of the path of thepipe during its traverse to the axial position in which it is to bereceived upon said strut; said strut having a (shallow depression in.its top adapted to receive and prevent accidental displacement ,of thepipe; stop means limiting the tilting movement of said strut to aposition in which it is overbalanoed against said stop means; wherebythe weight of said pipe holds said strut against said stop means. 5."Thecoin'binati n with means arranged to shift a pipe axially of pipeconveying mechanism, including a pivoted and counterbalanced strutextending transversely to the axis of said pipe; whereby said strut isar- 1 tiltedout of the path of the pipe during its traverse to the axialposition in which it-is to be received upon said strut; said struthaving means adapted to receive and prevent accidental displacement ofthe pipe;-

. stop means limiting the tilting movement of said strut to a positionin which it is overbalanced against said stop means; whereby the weightof said pipe holds said strut against said stop means.

6. The combination with means arranged to shift a pipe axially; of pipeconveying mechanism, including'a pivoted and counterbalanced strutextending transversely to the axis of said pipe; whereby saidstrut isarranged to gravitate to uppight position to support the pipe, but maybetemporarily tilted out of the path of the pipe during its V traverse tothe axial position in which it is to be received upon said strut; stopmeans limiting thetilting movement of said strut to a position in whichit is overbalanoed against said stop means; whereby the weight 0 saidpipe holds said strut against said this fourteenth day of Novembenm

